Nik Ellis

When you become a Close Brothers Motor Finance funded dealer partner, you gain access to our Forecourt Insights tool which allows you to use market leading data to drive profitability. In partnership with Auto Trader, this unique innovation for the motor industry brings your data to life, helping you make informed decisions and maximise sales. Want to find out more? Get in touch with your account manager today 📞 #Technology #Data #Insights #ForecourtInsight

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🤔 Providing a satisfying customer experience is all about building and delivering value. But how can you measure this and ensure ongoing loyalty and repeat business for your automotive dealership? 📊 Collecting and analysing customer feedback is an essential step of your performance measurement process and a source of valuable information on your strengths and weaknesses. 👉 In this blog post, we provide some practical tips to leverage review management as a strategic activity within the organisation to grow your business, improve customer engagement and even turn mistakes into a revenue opportunity: https://lnkd.in/di7gZ47p

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Hopefully, you'll be aware by now that if you're an independent dealer, you need to be SAF Approved (or equivalent) by 1 January 2025. In going through that process, you may find the attached PDF useful when using the SAF system 👍 #compliance #motorfinance #cardealerships

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This week's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Transport News Brief lead comment, ZEV transition is a marathon, but we must pick up the pace SMMT’s latest registration figures for the new light commercial vehicle market shows almost 24,700 new vans, taxis, 4x4s and pickups joined UK roads in July – a dip in demand, but that’s unsurprising given it’s a comparison with July 2023, the month’s best performance in three years, and came in the middle of a record-equalling 17 consecutive months of market growth. Robust demand over the year so far has been supported by manufacturers launching new models, which include very attractive zero emission ones, with 28 now available to UK buyers – treble what was available this time last year. However, it’s concerning that electric uptake continues to decline, down -7.0% to represent 5.1% of the market. Some 10% of each marque’s sales must be zero emission across 2024. While the Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme provides some flexibility, manufacturer investment in more cutting-edge, competitive EVs cannot single-handedly drive market transition at the pace required. The new government can accelerate the market shift through easy wins – for example, by bringing forward legislation planned by the previous government to amend driver derogations for electric vehicles weighing more than 4.25 tonnes, unleashing fleet investment and decarbonisation in LCVs and minibuses. Continuing the Plug-in Van Grant beyond its current end date in April 2025 is also a necessary feature of the LCV transition, alongside greater rollout of van-suitable public charging infrastructure – be it LCV-dedicated chargers or shared hubs. The technology is here – the challenge is to ensure accessible, affordable zero emission mobility for all.

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It was the 2020 Court of Appeal case, Payne & Ors (Coca-Cola) vs R & C Commrs, which questioned the tax treatment of vehicles with a payload of one tonne or more, that caused #HMRC's initial decision and subsequent U-turn to classify double-cab pickups as cars in early 2024. But now the decision is back on the agenda, with HM Revenue & Customs confirming that double-cab pickups will be taxed as cars from April 2025, following the latest Budget announcement, indicating that this ruling is aimed at ensuring consistency in tax treatment across similar vehicles. Will this affect your business? Talk to us about your finances. https://lnkd.in/eyxZqVay

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Our team recently advised on the sale of Carcomm Coachworks Ltd to Steer Automotive Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of commercial vehicle repair and refurbishment services. Our corporate partners Teri Hunter and Kate Prentis - Corporate Partner led the transaction with support from Heather Stewart (corporate associate solicitor), Julia Ferguson (property partner), Tim Astley (tech & commercial partner), and Lindsey Abbott (employment partner). Read the full article here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eEQgXEpV #corporatelaw #propertylaw #commerciallaw #employmentlaw #techlaw #companysale

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Don't let outdated ideas and misconceptions cloud your judgement towards invoice factoring for your bodyshop. Read our latest blog, Invoice factoring myths for bodyshops debunked: Separating fact from fiction, and get a fresh perspective on the incredible benefits it can bring to your business. Follow the link: https://bit.ly/3yuraJa. #InvoiceFactoring #Bodyshop #CollisionRepair #AccidentRepair #AutomotiveIndustry

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🗣️ Philip Nothard, Insight Director, on the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)'s June New Car Transactions: “The SMMT’s latest new market figures continue to paint a generally positive picture overall, but as always, the real story is in the details. "Battery electric cars are gaining ground, but their overall adoption remains steady rather than soaring and most registrations stem from fleets rather than private buyers. The low proportion of private registrations shows the level of caution still evident amongst consumers. "The industry unanimously calls on the next government to support the automotive sector and consumers with the transition to EV. The critical question now is whether we will see action. We’re otherwise unlikely to see a significant shift in the market performance this year." Read the full report 👇

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Don't miss our next free webinar, organised in partnership with Radius Law, to learn more about the key business and legal issues impacting the automotive industry. 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/ezQiB5UZ We will be looking at: ☑ Discretionary Commission – Where now after the Court of Appeal ruling? The Court of Appeal Decision on the 25th October is significant. We’ll be providing the latest updates and recommendations for next steps. ☑ New employment laws - The impact on the automotive sector. The Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment is already in force and there are more sweeping changes proposed including ‘day 1’ employment rights. We’ll be explaining what these changes mean for your business. ☑ New consumer laws were passed earlier this year and will, mostly, be coming into force in 2025. These include new consumer law rights and blockbuster fines. We’ll be discussing how to best prepare for the new laws. ☑ New Failure to prevent Fraud offence – Guidance has been issued – so companies now have 10 months to put anti-fraud procedures in place. We’ll be providing our top tips. #webinar #law #legalupdate #businesslaw #carsales #consumerrights

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Are you aware of the FCA's consumer duty reporting requirements? Research reported by Motor Trader revealed that many dealers are unclear about these requirements. Out of 889 respondents, a significant number were either unaware of the need to produce a board report or did not know they must submit their first report by 31 July. Additionally, 76% of respondents said they were uncomfortable with what the report should include. 🚗 Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3Lv6dkO. At insight6, we specialise in developing advanced CX programmes tailored to the automotive industry. Our bespoke feedback tools, trained researchers, and CX solutions have made us the partner of choice for many of the UK's largest automotive dealerships. We work with hundreds of clients across the UK and are the only company with a network of CX Directors to support car dealerships locally. Contact us today to see how we can transform your dealership's customer experience. #CustomerExperience #Automotive #ConsumerDuty #CarDealerships #Compliance

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🚗 The Worst Areas for Vehicle Crime in the UK 🚗 Vehicle crime is a pressing issue in many parts of the UK, affecting car owners and drivers alike. In our latest blog, we uncover the areas most notorious for vehicle-related crimes, including theft, vandalism, and break-ins. Understanding where these hotspots are can help you take proactive measures to protect your vehicle and belongings. Whether you're a resident or just passing through, knowing the risks can make a significant difference in your safety and security. Stay informed about the worst areas for vehicle crime and learn tips on how to safeguard your vehicle. 🛡 Check out the full report and share with fellow drivers! https://lnkd.in/eUKTD52t #SecurityGuard #VehicleSafety #UKCrimeStats #ProtectYourCar #GuardMarkSecurity

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Drive Behavioural Change in your dealerships with www.catalyst-dbc.co.uk By providing training, documentation and ideas we're the final piece of the regulatory jigsaw for motor dealers across the UK. #FCA #FLA #Compliance #Regulation

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DVLA has announced a new service update that allows motorists to tax their vehicle even if they have lost their V5C (log book) and their vehicle tax reminder letter (V11). Previously, customers who had lost these documents would have had to wait up to 5 days for a replacement V5C to arrive, or phone DVLA’s Contact Centre to tax their vehicle. This latest update will allow customers to apply online for a new V5C and tax their vehicle at the same time. This is the first time that DVLA has linked their online registration service with their online licensing service, allowing the customer to self-serve through the 2 digital channels in one seamless customer journey. Reference: https://lnkd.in/ekdX-j8N

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We surveyed 2,002 UK car buyers to understand their thoughts towards future fuel types. Read more about fuel types from our recent buyer behaviour survey on Car Dealer Magazine 👇 🚗 ⚡ Full report coming soon 👀 https://shorturl.at/yIWqW

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Why do consumers have allegiance to brands that are falling short? Within the ever changing motor industry it is vital that all provenance providers move with the times. 🚖 But are they… Who is currently leading the race to provide consumers with the most thorough vehicle history check? 🚦 Are all the brands you know really giving you what you need? If you don’t know, let us help you… Because we can guarantee not all provenance providers will give you the information you require to make the most informed decision before buying a car. 💡 Over the next few weeks we are going to take a consumers perspective, and delve deep into some of the main provenance providers checks to discover who is really leading the race in helping you. ⚖ Don’t miss what we have to uncover, the truth might surprise you! 🔍 #hpi #experian #vcheck #motorcheck #autotrader #rac #AA #usedcars #provenancechecks

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